Caught-in Accidents

The personal injury attorneys in Schwartz & Schwartz’s Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey offices handle construction accidents involving “caught-in” accidents. A “caught-in” accident is an accident where a person or a part of the person’s body such as a leg or hand gets caught in between two heavy or immovable objects. These accidents often involve crush injuries – injuries where bones, ligaments, and organs are crushed into many fractured pieces or pulverized. A very frequent result of these crush injuries is compartment syndrome, a condition involving swelling of the crushed arm or leg or other body part, where swelling occurs that can lead to amputation and other bad outcomes.

What are some examples of “caught-in” accidents?

In one case we handled, our client – let’s call him Gary – was working behind a pickup truck. A coworker was using a backhoe to move some debris. The coworker decided to use the backhoe to load the debris into the back of the pickup truck. While Gary had his hand laying on the bed of the pickup, the backhoe operator brought the bucket of the backhoe down on Gary’s hand, crushing it between the bottom of the bucket and the bed of the truck.

In another case, our client was working on a steel plate. The steel plate was standing vertically. The steel plate tipped over onto our client’s leg and crushed his leg between the plate and the floor. He did not have his leg amputated but after many orthopedic reconstructive surgeries, his doctors tell him he will never regain use of that leg.

Other cases of “caught-in” accidents involve machinery. When a person reaches into a piece of machinery to clear a jam or clean the works, the machinery may begin to function if power hasn’t been disconnected. At that point, the person or a body part can become caught in the machinery.

These are just two examples of “caught-in” accidents that we have successfully handled in our personal injury law firm. These accidents happen all too frequently and oftentimes are completely preventable.

After a caught-in accident, it is important to obtain medical attention immediately. Also, you should know that after a “caught-in” accident, it is very important to act swiftly to preserve the item or items that caused the injury.

Many times, people contact us about these types of construction accidents a year or more after the accident, after the materials or the machine have been disposed of. That can present a problem when the thing that caused the injury is your evidence! The earlier you contact a qualified attorney after a construction accident, the better your chances of a successful investigation and better your chances of obtaining justice.